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We have added several interesting events to the calendar in November, the always popular Norfolk Children's Book Centre Conference and the Into Film Festival . A flyer about the NCBC Conference can be downloaded here , do consider going it is always an amazingly inspirational day. Do keep an eye on the events section on the SLA website, you will find many opportunities for your students and yourself there.

CILIP Ethics Review

CILIP is undertaking a major review of professional ethics and, in particular, of the Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Practice for Library and Information Professionals it produced in 2004. In the years since they were published there have been great changes in the profession driven by technological development, changes in information governance and regulation, the growing importance of data and its management, new professional roles and responsibilities, and changing user expectations. For much of the period the financial crisis has also meant limited funding for many services and big changes in governance and service delivery. Therefore it is time to look again at the ethics of our profession.

This survey, which is one part of the review process, looks at the place of ethics in the working life of individuals today. It explores the issues that information professionals face and whether ethics has a place in helping to address them. It also looks at the Ethical Principles (set out in the survey) and their relevance for today’s practitioner.

Input from school librarians would be really valuable, you can complete the survey here.It will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and the closing date is 18 August 2017. If you want more information about the review it can be found here or you can email ethics[at]cilip.org.uk.

The Children's Bookshow

The Children’s Bookshow takes the best writers and illustrators from around the world to UK theatres each autumn to share their work with children and bring back the joy to reading.There are 60 free author/illustrator workshops available for schools who attend a theatre event. Every child taking part in a school workshop will receive a free book by the author/illustrator running the workshop.Look out for the brilliant school library competition, in tandem with the Times Educational Supplement, for attending schools to win £200 of books. One lucky child winner will receive a signed copy of a book from each of the 17 writers in the tour.With writers like Michael Rosen – a patron of The Children's Bookshow – regularly in the tour, the shows certainly bring a smile to children’s faces, but the organisers recognise how increasingly important it is too for children to read books outside of their language and culture. They want to enrich their lives with literature from around the world, and in 2017, the tour will host writers and illustrators from Japan, Estonia, Russia and Finland.The 2017 tour runs from Friday 22nd September when Michael Rosen kicks off with a hilarious gig at the Theatre Royal Newcastle, to Friday 24th November when the tour will end with event partner, the European Commission Representation in the UK, at Europe House with Finnish, Estonian and Russian writers and a homegrown talent, Alexis Deacon, author of Beegu, who will be talking about the Moomins with Finnish friends.For further details and to book tickets please go to www.thechildrensbookshow.com

Summer Reading Challenge website makeover

The website for the Summer Reading Challenge has had an overhaul to reflect this year's theme of Animal Agents. The Book Sorter area for book recommendations is fun and you can also find competitions, a mesage board and games to keep young readers occupied in the holidays.

STEM themed storybooks have been sent out to primary schools

A pioneering project from an author and an engineer to supply free copies of STEM-themed story books to all primary schools in the UK has seen 24,000 primary schools receive three books from the “Peter’s Railway” series, with access to online educational resources.The project aimed at encouraging an early interest in STEM subjects, hopes to help foster a greater level of technical interest amongst young children.The Peter’s Railway collection, written by Scottish-based author Christopher Vine, follows Peter, a young boy with a love of trains, railways and engineering. The traditional illustrated storybooks, named after the author’s son feature a friendly narrative and stand-alone sections exploring STEM related topics such as energy, biology and climate.The project has been funded by engineer Nick Jarmany, founder of Quixant Plc, a UK-based company engaged in development and supply of computer systems. Nick Jarmany became a fan of the Peter’s Railway books after reading them to his young children.Christopher Vine, said: “The Peter’s Railway books combine real science and engineering with true stories and adventures helping to feed inquisitive minds. Our lives are increasingly dominated by technology of all types, meaning there will be an ever-accelerating need for technical experts, innovators and entrepreneurs in the future. This represents an amazing opportunity for the youngsters of today, which is why we want to foster an early interest in STEM subjects and give more children a chance to enjoy science and engineering.” To complement the book release free STEM resources have been made available.

Happy holidays from all at the SLA office and Board members, we hope you have many days of reading and relaxing ahead of you.